"Where are you going old man?" Shunsui asked, suddenly appearing behind Ukitake. The white haired man started and spun around to face the hat wearing Taicho.
"For a walk." He answered uneasily, not meeting the gaze.
"I know you're lying to me," Shunsui answered easily, stepping closer to the pale man, "but I won't press you." Ukitake looked at the straw hat on the head that moved past him and at the pink clothed back; he was coming and there was no point in contesting it. Shunsui stepped out of the Sereitei, and began his way along the tiled area towards the dirt streets of the Rukongai.
"It must be important," Shunsui broke the silence over the too long journey past the green tiles.
"What must be?"
"For you to go yourself in that uniform, whatever the business it it must be important," Shunsui noted casually. Ukitake looked down at his white robed self- he had considered wearing something more casual, but as she was, she probably wouldn't believe him unless there was some obvious sign of authority.
"It's more convincing this way," Ukitake answered easily, tucking his cold hands into his sleeved, despite the midday heat he was freezing.
"You should be in bed," Shunsui continued, noting the slight shiver of the man, a shiver should not exist in the summer's heat. The tile came to an end abruptly and they were walking along a clear dirt area, towards ramshackle houses and narrow dirt streets.
"It's important," Ukitake relented and Shunsui's eye gleamed.
"Really? What is it?" Never the one to be discreet, especially around his friend, Shunsui pounced at the bait without care for consequence. Ukitake, with great determination, held his tongue. Shunsui waited patiently for the response, but there was only the sounds of their sandals shifting the dirt of the ground and with passing time Ukitake realized he had no intention of giving a response and slowly sobered to patience. They walked along a narrow dirt path that was not filth for the souls here did not need to eat and had no waste- but their existence none the less derelict with its broken homes and naked children in the streets- though the men and women despite tattered clothes looked far from worn. They all stopped to looked at the man with the zanpactu and pink robes and straw hat, his counterpart lacking as much color as the other had, with his flowing white hair and clean robes- there was no wont or envy on their part for seeing these people for they experience no hunger or hurt yet sill they were a passing curiosity. Shunsui turned down a side path that did smell filthy and the dirt was damp with piss, wooden bins stinking with rot waiting to be taken out. A young girl came out, her face worn and quickly stuffed a hot dumpling into her mouth. She looked up in the narrow alley, for the first time noticing the pair, slightly luminescent in the gloom and choked soundlessly. Quickly she swallowed and wiped away her tears.
"Please don't tell cook," She begged, swiping at her lips that were parched. She looked thin and pale, a flower that was dying in the darkness. She looked from the luminescent man with his long white hair, smiling patiently at her to the man who had raised his straw hat to look at her.
"Well bless my soul," Shunsui murmured, taking in the violet blue wide eyes, the small frame and the black head.
"Hisana!" Came the loud bawl from the inside. The girl started and rushed to the door.
"Yes?" Came the wavering response and she disappeared back into the building.
"How did you find her?" Shunsui demanded, looking incredulously at his friend.
"There were reports of a Rukia look alike in the Rukongai, I came her to see for myself." Shunsui looked at his friend's remorseful face that would not meet his gaze. Shunsui pulled down his hat.
"I suppose you haven't told Kuchiki." It was not really a question, because he knew the answer.
"It has to be her decision," Ukitake answered evenly.
"So what are you going to do now?" Shunsui wondered, a smile pulling at his face, being with his friend was always so interesting. The response was to step through the doorway from which she had come. Shunsui followed the white man and emerged into a low ceiling room, hot with the fire that roared beneath a squat black stove. The air was full of the smell of roasted flour and the delicate smells of soups. Two girls rushed past them, looking rather harried as a male voice shouted orders at their perspiration drenched backs. They looked too thin and rather tired and when thy noticed the rather out of place white clothes that looked like the midday sun they had not seen in a while, they stopped and stared.
"Well hello," Shunsui smiled gently at the pair, touching his hat gently, "do you know where your boss is?" One looked form the man in pink to the man of white and the other looked away guiltily and scratched her face with a thin finger.
"He's back there," the starer answered, gesturing in the direction of the voice that called for a bowl of soup and a bottle of sake. The thin girl with a guilty face hurried away for the order and the pair went off in the direction of the voice. A few short strides across the wooden kitchen floor and they were in the cool of the dining area full of customers sitting languidly in wooden benches set on either side of long tables. The low din stopped and white eyes stared at the bodies in the gloom.
"May I help you sirs?" The Taichos noticed the man at their shoulders, bowing slightly at them, the features of a fox, eying their well dressed bodies knowing \where they came from and hoping for a sale.
"Yes, we are interested in one of your waitresses." Shunsui answered graciously at which the man's brow jumped sharply.
"I m sorry sir," He answered softly, "but this is a tea house, not a brothel." Ukitake laughed and waved his hands nervously.
"What my friend meant was that we are interested in one of your waitresses, she has a past with us." The man's features darkened.
"What kind of past?" He demanded. "Both of my waitresses claimed and swore o their souls they were virgins."
"And I'm sure they are, but fifty years ago one of your waitresses was married to one of us." The features changed from suspicion to curiosity.
"Which one?" He demanded.
"Hisana." He scoffed and turned away from them.
"The princess eh? Never could work more than a few hours without stealing some food," He seemed poised to spit, "take the little wretch a bad investment eating at the heart of a good man like me." Just then the girl emerged, in her arms a tray of food, he snatched it from her. "You're fired." She stared back at him with wide shocked eyes.
"What?"
"You herd me, you're their property now," She stared at the pair of men and her face crumpled in fear. She looked back at the owner of the house but he had already turned away and was pushing past Shunsui and Ukitake to get back in his kitchen. Shunsui smiled down at her and she swallowed hard.
"You have anything to get?" Ukitake asked gently. This was not how he intended it to go, but since she was out of a job, he figured she hadn't much of a choice now- as he said, she was their concern now.
"I'm wearing all I own," She answered softly.
"Well," Shunsui sighed looking around at the customers who were trying not to look too interested in them, "we'd better be going." They shuffled past the rows of wooden benches and tables and into the sharp white of the midday sun and looking up and down the narrow streets where children played, started off for the looming form of the white walled Sereitei, stopping when he heard only one set of footsteps behind him. Hisana was still standing in the middle of the dusty street, staring at the tea house form which she had come. Her sin healed the same luminescent quality as Ukitake but she was by far smaller, dirtier and looked less rested.
"Aren't you coming?" She looked up at him, a set determination on her face that made her look like Rukia.
"What is this all about?" She asked softly, there was no demand to it, but it compelled them to speak- no wonder Byakuya chose her for a wife.
"I will explain it once we are in the Sereitei-" Ukitake began.
'No, I want to know now," She answered evenly, "I am not Shinigami material, I might have some reiatsu but not enough, not yet so why?" Ukitake sighed.
"Not how you planned eh?" Shunsui jested, "quite the fire cracker."
"As stubborn as Kuchiki." Ukitake sighed.
"Kuchiki?" Ukitake looked back at her in surprise, she wasn't supposed to remember anything.
"Yes, it is the name of-"
"A noble from the Four great houses."she answered loosely, her face crumpled in distrust.
"Where did you hear that from?" She shrugged her shoulders.
"The servants of traveling nobles eat somewhere."
"It's also the name of," Ukitake fell to a fit of coughing. The trip was taking a toll on him. He needed to be back at home, in bed with lemon grass tea and soft sheets. His bod wracked with coughs and blood appeared on his fingers. Shunsui took his friend's shoulders and steered him up the street to the Sereitei. The man in pink looked back at the girl in her pastel-blue dirty kimono.
"You can come if you want." Hisana looked back at the shadowy tea house.
AN- This story's been on my mind now and keeping with my new years resolution, I am writing stories instead of letting them back up on me, hope you stick around to find out what happens next!
